Smallville: Olympus
Olympus is the seventh "episode"/story arc in Season 11 of the comic continuation of the hit CW show Smallville and Wonder Woman's first appearance in the series. Over its four-issue span (containing 12 chapters), she gets a Smallville take on her origins, her first appearance as Wonder Woman, hers and Superman's first adventure together set in Washington - and how she earned the name "Wonder Woman". Synopsis When Diana, who is not yet Wonder Woman proper but wields her powers and the silver bracelets, saves Senator Martha Kent - Clark's mother - from an attempt on her life in Washington, Clark and Lois arrive in the nation's capital to both cover the story and investigate. They soon meet Steve - who, as readers learn, not only met Diana as a child after being washed up on Themyscira but also works at the D.E.O. (Department of Extra-Normal Operations.) Lois soon locates Diana, who is rumored and feared to be a vigilante, at a church, and the two discuss Diana's business in Washington. Lois tells Diana that America is a proud nation - to which Diana says she hails from a proud nation too (but stops short of mentioning Themyscira.) Things are very cordial until both are attacked by harpies. While fighting them off side by side, Diana is wounded, but Lois jokes about the fact that she and her fiancé have much to talk about. Diana is surprised and asks what kind of man could be worthy to be a mate for a woman as strong and independent as Lois - and as if in answer, Superman arrives and finishes the fight. A D.E.O. unit arrives led by Steve and Diana flees before he can recognize her - but Lois recognizes Steve and reveals to Superman that Steve is her ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, the harpies have transformed back into men and deliver Diana's blood to a dark mage, Felix Faust, who pours it into a boiling cauldron and sets to work. The next day, Lois catches up with Steve and both gives Diana the moniker of "Wonder Woman" and reveals she is curious about how Diana knew of her connection to the military (through her father, General Sam Lane) and about why Diana is looking into the military. Soon, readers are treated to another flashback where Diana leaves Themyscira using a winged craft, saying she is tired of waiting for her mother to return and even defeating Artemis when she tries to stop her. Back in the present at the Marston Home for Wayward Girls, two children are fighting over a toy before two older girls break them up before they start arguing and fighting each other. Diana comes and says this is neither the time or place for violence. The two girls then insult her, calling her a "stray dog," before Diana tells the girls to look away for a moment and picks them up, telling them to calm down. At that moment, Clark arrives and asks to speak with Diana. She is initially reluctant, but when Clark chooses to remove his glasses and look at her directly, she realizes he is Superman and leaves with him. She admits that since her arrival in America, she has been helping others who can't help themselves. Clark quips that seems she spends most of her "helping" time putting men in the hospital. She says during her time in Man's World, she has realized that men are rarely victimized by the opposite sex like these women have been. Then Clark asks her about her connection with Steve - and she replies by saying it is complicated. Suddenly, Watchtower communicates with Clark and tells him that she has tracked down the harpies that they and Lois encountered at the cathedral and then sends him the coordinates. Later, Diana breaks into Steve's apartment in Alexandria - and after a quick conversation, Steve recognizes Diana. He asks when she got superpowers, and she calmly tells him that her powers developed over time and why she came to Man's World. But before she explains, she sees a picture of Hippolyta with a young Steve. Now enraged, she demands answers and asks if Steve is the reason she never returned with Steve, but he swears he hasn't seen her in years. Meanwhile, though, the D.E.O. has arrived - and they're calling for Diana to surrender. Even though she fights admirably, including taking out a tank by herself, she is captured. Superman argues with General Lane, who is also there, but General Lane explains that the President himself has ordered Diana's arrest. When Bones offers to take Diana to her mother, she goes quietly. Meanwhile, Superman motions for Lois and Steve to meet him quickly elsewhere - while it is revealed that Faust is trying to release Hades while Hippolyta is being held captive by the D.E.O. Another flashback shows Diana on in a boat traveling from Themyscira to New York. Two sailors are talking about her, wondering if she ever sleeps and how she managed to move a bunch of things in the hold of the boat with the forklift broken. While arriving in New York, Diana is fascinated by the Statue of Liberty and impressed by the view of it - and states that there is hope for this "New World" yet. Back in the present, D.E.O. director Bones tortures Diana and reveals Hades as the mastermind behind everything - including that he and Faust made a deal with him as World War II soldiers for longevity. Diana then is able to hear Clark's voice with her super hearing and he tells her to endure while he searches for her mother. After talking to D.E.O. agent Cameron Chase and using his reasoning and X-ray vision to discern more of the true nature of the building, Clark discovers a place called the Black Room, which is full of relics and magical objects - and to his surprise, a giant earn that contains Hippolyta being held in suspended animation. Clark tells Diana that he found her mother - but at that moment, Faust and a huge monster arrive and another fight is on. Meanwhile, Lois vouches for Diana as a "Wonder Woman" to Steve and her own father, General Lane, but none of them can do anything until word of Faust's attack reaches them. Faust and Bones' deal with Hades is revealed to more people - as is the fact that Hippolyta helped imprison Hades and won Themyscira for the Amazons as a result. Faust then seemingly kills Bones after Bones fires on him and then uses a ruby from Hippolyta's tiara to release Hades from the Underworld. Diana then appears, having broken her bonds, and lands a punch on Faust that seemingly breaks his neck before he manages to heal and vanish, dodging Clark's heat vision. Clark and Diana then release Hippolyta and Diana tries to awaken her, but Clark asks her to help him in the fight. Diana seems not to be sure if she can help him at the time, but Clark tells her to find out soon and then changes into Superman in order to face Hades. As Hades and Faust launch an attack on the National Mall that has even Superman calling for backup, inside the Black Room, doctors try to examine Hippolyta, but she refuses, saying sarcastically that they already have done quite enough for her. She then tells Diana that they should leave together and return to Themyscira, but Diana says as happy as she is to see her again, she cannot leave because her work here is not done. Hippolyta says she shouldn't concern herself about the affairs of Man's World, but Diana replies that Hades has been unleashed and sooner or later his seeking of vengeance for the other gods will lead him to Themyscira as well. Hippolyta asks her what would she do to prevent this from happening...and Diana says she will do what Hippolyta herself did once - she will fight - and thus becomes Wonder Woman proper for the first time. To underline her point and the moment, she lets her hair down and dons her mother's Amazonian battle armor, which gives her a more familiar Wonder Woman look and includes the familiar tiara. She also arms herself with a sword, a shield and the Lasso of Truth. The first person she helps is Agent Chase. After dispatching her assailants with the Lasso, sword and shield, Chase, clearly amazed, asks Wonder Woman, "Who are you?" To this, she replies, "Sister, I believe we are about to find out..." Meanwhile, Hades is startled to learn that danger approaches in another champion of humanity - not Hippolyta, but her daughter. Wonder Woman arrives at the National Mall just as Hades has Superman down and is perched on Abraham Lincoln's chair, using it as his throne. She enters the Lincoln Memorial to confront him, and says that she is appalled by the use of the dead people in his schemes, but he says he gives them a purpose once again. Wonder Woman then retorts that they do not need purpose, but peace. Hades then shows her that his harpies have captured Steve and threatens to turn him into one of the dead if she does not surrender to him, but Wonder Woman says that if they hurt him, she will drag Hades back into Tartarus - impaled on her sword. Hades is surprised that an Amazon defies one of her Gods for a man, but Wonder Woman says she is fighting for all mankind. Hades in turn mocks her by saying that although Hippolyta's blood runs in her veins, she can not stop him by herself - but at that moment, Superman rejoins the fight and proclaims that Wonder Woman does not fight alone. During the ensuing fight against Hades' minions, Wonder Woman explains to Superman that the only way to defeat Hades is to send him back to Tartarus in order to keep the Olympian realms in balance. She also says that Hippolyta, in order to imprison Hades in the first place, had to kill the witch who served him - thus severing the blood bond that Hades needs to walk the Earth - meaning that now they have to kill Faust. Superman refuses, but Wonder Woman says that she despises violence as much as him but fears there is no other way. To that, Superman responds that there is always another way - and then takes Hades and flies him into space. In space, Superman warns Hades that even if he is immortal, he can throw him into deep space whenever he wants, where he will spend eternity wandering in the black cold endless void. Hades, intimidated, surrenders. Superman then throws him all the way back to Earth and inside a portal leading to Tartarus, imprisoning him once again. Before the portal is closed, Wonder Woman lassos Faust, tells him that he will share the fate of his master and throws him inside the portal as well. The battle is won. When Superman lands, Wonder Woman asks him what power he used to subdue Hades, to which Superman simply responds by smiling and saying, "Words." Steve appears, and Wonder Woman embraces and lifts him, happy that he is safe and that Washington is no longer in danger. Steve wonders what will happen now with the heroes and how will the government and the army react - good questions in Superman's opinion. The next day, though, President Martinez leads the world with a message of reconciliation. He says that after the events of the "Contact" and Hades' attack hours ago, the world must accept now the unnatural disasters that have occurred - but also embrace a new generation of heroes like Metropolis' Man of Steel and the capital's very own Wonder Woman. At that moment, the two heroes are talking about the future. Superman says that the farm boy in him makes him reluctant to be regarded almost as a god - something that is more familiar to Wonder Woman, who is a demigoddess herself. Superman tells her that in the coming weeks one of his associates will be setting up a hub for his team's Watchtower network in DC and it can be made available to her if she decides to stay. Wonder Woman says that after much discussion with her mother, she decided to stay - not only as an ambassador for Themyscira, but also to show the world that her people should not be feared, but embraced - and prove that it is possible to make a difference when fighting for truth and justice. Superman then asks her if she will see Steve again and Wonder Woman responds by saying she believes she shall see more of this "boy". Subsequently, Agent Chase flies Hippolyta back to Themyscira in an invisible jet, but not before Hippolyta says goodbye to Diana, who has joined the D.E.O. Once the jet leaves, Steve, now director, calls all his agents, including Diana, saying they have a world to protect. Steve then asks her if she is ready, and she responds, "Are you?" Credits *Writer - Bryan Q. Miller *Pencils - Jorge Jimenez *Cover - Cat Staggs *Inks - Jorge Jimenez *Colors - Carrie Strachan *Lettering - Saida Temofonte *Assistant Editor - Jessica Chen *Editor - Kristy Quinn Appearances Individuals *Wonder Woman *Superman *Steve Trevor *Hippolyta *Hades *Lois Lane *Gen. Sam Lane *Sen. Martha Kent *Bones *Felix Faust Organizations *D.E.O. Locations *Washington, D.C. *Themyscira *Metropolis Notes *''Smallville'' writer Bryan Q. Miller revealed that Wonder Woman's origin was something he found tricky to incorporate into the show's universe, but that he had wanted to do it even during the TV show's run, although the unsuccessful Wonder Woman NBC pilot prevented them from doing so. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=45640 Miller Lassos Wonder Woman for "Smallville: Season 11"] Jeffrey Renaud, Comic Book Resources *The invisible jet that Chase uses to fly Hippolyta back to Themyscira is a nod to Wonder Woman's original plane. *Wonder Woman was referenced by Chloe Sullivan in the Smallville TV episode Fortune as "a wonderous woman who will throw you for a loop."[http://smallville.wikia.com/wiki/Fortune Smallville: Fortune] Smallville Wiki *The Marston Home for Wayward Girls is a nod to William Moulton Marston. *Olympus takes on a double meaning in this story. Not only does it refer to Mount Olympus, but it is the code name for the White House. Sources Links *[http://smallville.wikia.com/wiki/Olympus Olympus at the Smallville Wiki] *Wonder Woman under "Diana of Themyscira" at the Smallville Wiki *[http://www.readdcentertainment.com/Smallville-Olympus/comics-story-arc/1616 Olympus at the DC Web Store] Gallery SMVLS11_Cv17_xm7bl7v0a6_.jpg|Issue 2's cover. SMVL18_CMYK_print_j3bahu3lyt_.jpg|Issue 3's cover. SMVLS11_Cv19_ihzqse2vz2_.jpg|Issue 4's cover. JORGE_DIANA_INKCOLOR_.jpg|Concept art of Diana's original Olympus outfit. Category:Comic Book Titles __NOWYSIWYG__